Summary
In the 1830s, the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole nations were forced off their homelands in the Southeast. They walked more than a thousand miles west, to what is now Oklahoma. Many died on what became know as the Trail of Tears. It started in 1830, when President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This authorized the President to negotiate with Tribal leaders for land. In theory, land trades were supposed to be voluntary, but in practice, leaders were often coerced. The Cherokee went to court to try to stop it, and the Supreme Court ruled in their favor. But the government ignored the decision. Press "play" to learn more about the Trail of Tears.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Trail of Tears:
- What is one new thing you learned about trail of tears?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining trail of tears.
- Draw or give one example of your own.